Five Tenants
The Five Tenants of Eldin Esgadin In ancient times, anarchy and chaos still lurked on the countrysides, in the woods and on the mountaineous ranges of the northeast. The Seven Kingdoms ruled over mankind, but did not stretch far as they did in more modern times, as the dangers were great that threatened mankind. In these troublesome times, Eldin Esgadin and his Four Companions were like beacons for the people that they safeguarded and protected. Each of the Five had their own traits and abilities, but over time they learned from each other and came to honor a code they would formulate. This honorary code would become known as the Five Tenants of Eldin. As the Barony grew in prosperity and size, so would the Order of the Ivory Ravens. And much to the credit of the Five Tenants, as described below. 1 Esgadin: Truth & Honesty Above all, Eldin Esgadin was known to be an honest man, who would always honor his vows. Following his knightly teachings, he spat on people who would forsake truth in pursuit of wealth or power. As a result, the first and foremost of the Five Tenants was the Tenant of Truth & Honesty: "A true Ivory Raven will always speak or act truthfully and honestly. He will not lie, nor forsake the vows or promises he has made. Truth over power & wealth, in tune with Tenant two and three." 2 Dunharrow: Steadfast Resolve Clan Dunharrow and their matriarch were dwarves from the Aerie Peak. Hardened by battle and originally carved from stone by the titans, they were like a rock-hard pillar on the battlefield - lumbering, but steadfast and hardy to the core. Even a bit headstrong at times, but loyal friends who would not abandon their friends, no matter the danger they faced. Coming to Eldin's aid in the battle of the Plaguemist Ravine, they would grow out to be steadfast allies of House Esgadin and Eldin in particular. From them, Eldin learned that a true honorary person should always be hard in his resolve and unwavering on the battlefield. This formed the tenant of Steadfast Resolve: "A true Ivory Raven will always stand strong and tall and will not budge or waver in the face of danger. Victory or Death." 3 Tower: Loyalty & Kindness Lord Balian Tower was a lifelong friend of Eldin Esgadin. Together they had been through it all and over the years Eldin would grow fond of Tower's unwavering loyalty and above all his kind heart. Being fervent followers of the Light, members of House Tower would help out the common folk with simple deeds and kind words - acts of mercy and kindness which Eldin would fully embrace when he was appointed as the new Baron of the northeast. Over the years, this loyal and kind behaviour would grow out to become one of the five basic Tenants: "A true Ivory Raven will always be loyal to his friends, companions and underlings. He will treat them with kindness and understanding, as the Light would treat every living being. Loyalty over Selfishness, Kidness over Greed." 4 Dvobek: Patience & Intelligence As a young knight in training, Eldin would often grow impatient. He prefered to act before he thought and this often resulted in less favorable results, despite his good intentions and efforts. The wise mage Ravel Dvobek, however, saw great potential in young Esgadin. Over the years of his training, he would befriend the boy and instill in him a sense of patience and wisdom. Eldin grew to respect the old man, despite their great difference in age. When he finally rose to knighthood, he fully embraced the teachings of Ravel. This approach would later greatly benefit him when facing the overwhelming host of trolls. Choosing to use tactics, rather than raw strength and brute might like the trolls did, Eldin managed to outsmart the Zul'Mashar forest trolls, resulting in a very hard-fought victory. His mighty mentor Ravel would be amongst the many casualties of Zul'Mashar, however. Honoring his spirit and teachings, Eldin would later enstate the Tenant of Patience & Intelligence: "A true Ivory Raven shall be patient in all matters. He will outsmart his opponents and shalla always think before acting. Brains over brawn." 5 Brightwood: Nature & Nurture Before meeting his would-be-wife Alvira Brightwood, Eldin Esgadin had never seen another creature besides humans and trolls. Because he had always associated non-humans with combat, blood and misery, he was wary of outsiders. So when he first bumped into a high elf running through the woodlands, he acted with aggression and brashness. The high elf (Brightwood) was, however, far more agile and in tune with her surroundings, resulting in a undeniable defeat for the young human knight. After their initial hostile encounter the high elf and the human would learn to respect each other over time and indeed grew quite fond of each other. As a result, Eldin learned an important lesson from Alvira: respect nature; both actual nature and a creature's nature. Learn other people's cultures and their customs before judging them, or you shall surely be overwhelmed by their knowledge. This formed the Tenant of Nature & Nurture: "A true Ivory Raven will learn to respect nature - both the surroundings that engulf him, as the nature of the creatures that live in these surroundings. Respect and learn another culture before judging it, in tune with Tenant three and four, lest you be overwhelmed. Respect over Prejudice."